Team

Barb

Prior to her retirement after 24 years with FedEx, Barb worked in sales, sales training, and project management. She gained valuable experience in how to listen to customers and understand their needs, then craft a personal solution to those needs. Barb's deliverable was always customer satisfaction, which led Barb to FedEx's prestigious "President's Club."

Barb has carried over that customer-centered focus into her volunteer work in the community. She has proudly served at The Free Clinics, The North Carolina Arboretum, on the Advisory Board of Catholic Social Services in Asheville and has led several projects at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Hendersonville.

Barb reflects on her recent experiences. "While supporting my mother during her final days fighting lung cancer, I saw the impact of her not being able to handle everyday tasks, and perhaps the most devastating effect was with simple bill paying. Mom had prided herself on her ability to be frugal in her expenditures while saving for her children." That experience, plus the supportive care of her mother-in-law for 21/2 years, has driven Barb's desire to help alleviate the effects of diminished mental capacity or physical illness for people in her community, to help people who have lost the ability to keep up with the simple tasks of daily living.

Barb enjoys life in the outdoors here in North Carolina, saving time for hiking, birding, wildflowers, and her grandchildren.

Tom

A graduate of Rhodes College in his hometown of Memphis, Tom's career included a successful commercial real estate practice before his recruitment to FedEx. As Manager of Corporate Real Estate at FedEx, Tom was responsible for the company's growing space needs, managing real estate transactions for over 200 properties, and instituting a program for saving several millions of dollars in occupancy costs. Tom earned the prestigious Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM®) designation from the Realtors National Marketing Institute, a rigorous course of combined experience and study similar to an MBA. While Managing Director of FedEx Aviation Services, Tom created a team that produced over $1.5 billion in revenue and was responsible for an aviation parts inventory of over $100 million. His successful business approach earned Tom the FedEx "Five Star Award for Excellence" and has provided a sound business background for daily money management services. Tom's career at FedEx was capped by his selection to the FedEx Leadership Institute where he facilitated courses in leadership principles for FedEx managers around the world.

Tom's volunteer years here in Western North Carolina have included serving friendly meals to seniors during his regular Meals on Wheels route, as well as serving on the boards of The Free Clinics, the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Catholic Social Services. Both Tom and his wife Barb use spare time for birding, hiking, golf, and, of course, visiting grandchildren.

Bogey

Our newest team member came to us from the Blue Ridge Humane Shelter a couple of years ago. Bogey has learned to "whisper" inside the house, doesn't chew on things that don't belong to him, and can fall asleep in our bed at the drop of a hat. In addition to the joy of riding along in our car, Bogey enjoys daily contact with the squirrels, birds, deer, and other wildlife that frequent his backyard domain.